Trinitarians like to use this verse to try and prove Jesus was claiming to be the one supreme God Almighty, and this is the very reason why the Jews tried to kill him. The “I am” is “ego eimi” from the Greek translation. Jesus never said, “I am” as in “I am Yahweh.” This is nothing more than a theological presupposition and not found in the context.

The phrase “I am” is found many times in the NT and is often translated as “I am he” or something equivalent. (Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8; John 13:19; 18:5, 6 and 8. “It is I”—Matt. 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 6:20. “I am the one I claim to be”—John 8:24 and 28.). The “he” is often used in italics. It is interesting that when it comes to John 8:58, they left it out. If they were consistent, John 8:58 should have been translated as “I am he” or “I am the one,” just as they did elsewhere, would cut down the confusion. It is easy to see that we have “Trinitarian bias” when it comes to translating the scriptures. However, this is where it would be fruitful to compare other passages of scriptures that are very plain and easy to understand.

Just because someone says “I am” (ego eimi) does not mean the person is God. The blind man in John 9:9 says, “Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Christ. The conversation at the well with the woman states:

Joh 4:25-26 “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.“

Others called him the Messiah throughout his ministry (Luke 2:11; Matt. 16:16; Mark 1:1; John 1:41).

More importantly, the Jews did NOT try to kill Jesus throughout his ministry because he claimed to be the one supreme God. If Trinitarians insist this is the case found in John 8:58, this would have been the GRAND opportunity to bring it up as Jesus’ trial. At the trial, did the high priest ask Jesus if he were God? NO. Rather, he asked, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us IF YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.” (Matt. 26:63) It is for this reason the Jews tried to kill Jesus!

From John’s gospel where Trinitarians try to prove the Trinity doctrine fail to miss the main point of why John was writing. He says,

“But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is God?” NO.

“But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

No matter how clearly something is taught in scripture, people who either have an agenda or a theological perspective to protect will never be able to see the truth of what is plainly taught in scripture.